Product Details

Editor reviews

Average editor rating from: 3 user(s)

Overall rating

4.4

Appearance

3.7 (3)

Louche

4.0 (3)

Aroma

5.0 (3)

Flavor / Mouthfeel

5.0 (3)

Finish

4.3 (3)

Overall

4.3 (3)

It's a pretty chrysoberyl, just a bit more yellow than green. There's no haze but there are a bunch of black specks of particulate. The aroma is awesome. Rich, honeyed, balanced with no herb standing out. It's purfumey with some mintiness.

The louche is quick and thick. The colour afterward is milky jade and has a fair amount of texture. Water brings forth spiciness in the aroma and enhances the mintiness and anise. There's a bit less honey.

The absinthe is very sweet anise and minty wormwood in harmony. There's a hint of cuminy funk but it's nothing distracting. A bit of sassafras and earthy fennel. A bit murky, tastes like the smell a spice cabinet. Very homey.

There's a long, numbing finish full of floral wormwood. Some mild saltiness appears and contributes a bit of oceanic character in the end.

I'd recommend this to anyone. The balance and smoothness of it makes me wonder how it will be if left to age for ten years. Or a hundred. It already tastes like it has had the benefit from a good deal of aging.

Another quality American absinthe.

It's a pretty chrysoberyl, just a bit more yellow than green. There's no haze but there are a bunch of black specks of particulate. The aroma is awesome. Rich, honeyed, balanced with no herb standing out. It's purfumey with some mintiness.

The louche is quick and thick. The colour afterward is milky jade and has a fair amount of texture. Water brings forth spiciness in the aroma and enhances the mintiness and anise. There's a bit less honey.

The absinthe is very sweet anise and minty wormwood in harmony. There's a hint of cuminy funk but it's nothing distracting. A bit of sassafras and earthy fennel. A bit murky, tastes like the smell a spice cabinet. Very homey.

There's a long, numbing finish full of floral wormwood. Some mild saltiness appears and contributes a bit of oceanic character in the end.

I'd recommend this to anyone. The balance and smoothness of it makes me wonder how it will be if left to age for ten years. Or a hundred. It already tastes like it has had the benefit from a good deal of aging.

Color
Neat, the color is a light medium yellow/gold tinged green. Sparkling, flawless clarity and unquestionably natural looking. Louched, the overall tone is that of creamy light celadon with gold/amber highlights. Ample translucence lights it up nicely, and there is a subtle opalescence of whitish blue at the edges and meniscus, and some interior fire under good light.

Louche
Good thick cascades (rather than trails) with pretty refractions. Clouding on the bottom sets up at about .5/1, top layer shortly thereafter. The layering here is not as defined as the most impressive louches I've seen, but lovely nonetheless. Make sure your water is very cold for this.

Aroma
Neat, very, very clean anise/fennel with herbal background. Louched, WOW!... start by paying a lot of attention. The balance here is such that one must really dig to find the individual components. They are present and detectable. The fruity, round combination of the anise and fennel lays down a solid foundation for the wormwood, pontica, and hyssop to come up front slightly and really sing. A little citrus, flowers, and spice on backing vocals.

Flavor
Like the nose, an attack of very round anise and fennel. Slightly minty wormwood then takes the lead augmented by some spice and citrus. If you want to get that "baby powder" thing from hyssop, try this. Nice creamy mouthfeel, but not overdone... just right. Again, following the nose, very balanced, very clean.

Finish
At first the anise/ fennel combo increases just a little to a nice spicy prickle, and then the "baby powder" creeps. The finish is very long, and as it persists, there is a subtle growing tension between the anise/fennel and the wormwood. There is absolutely no drying and "pull" that is so prevalent in other absinthes. The "juiciness" of this finish could have me drinking this all night.

Overall
So clean, so balanced. Such a well integrated personality. Seamless nose, palate, finish. Not the most wildly complex I have had, but sometimes more is just more. Everything this does, it does so well. Recently, I tasted this first at the DUNY tasting in NYC where there were several top-notch absinthes being shown. It was equaled, perhaps, by a couple in differing styles but, in my opinion, it was exceeded by none.

1/30/10 Revisit - Yeah, it's a tough job, but someone has to taste this from time to time. I sit here shaking my head, smiling, and awestruck. I just never get over how good this stuff is. As I do these "revisits", I always form impressions of each review category, in order, and then read my original comments to see how it all squares. I changed one word and I moved one coma, for grammatical correctness. In the categories that didn't score 5 (Color and Louche), I consider both to be more than adequate, given the style. In the categories that really count with me, for any beverage, (Aroma, Flavor, Finish), the 5s are so strong as to be without reservation. Therefore, I am changing my previous rating of 4 for "Overall" to a 5. There are other absinthes where I considered changing the "Overall" to a 5, but upon revisit, I did not. This is one where my first instinct, back on 5/09/09, was to award that 5, but I did not, at the time, to keep it consistent with the fact that I had never done so in any review. This is only the second 5 in that category I have ever awarded in 23 reviews. And from what I read and hear about recent production, I can't wait to revisit this again. Congrats Marc... a true masterpiece.

A New Member Of The Top Echelon

Color
Neat, the color is a light medium yellow/gold tinged green. Sparkling, flawless clarity and unquestionably natural looking. Louched, the overall tone is that of creamy light celadon with gold/amber highlights. Ample translucence lights it up nicely, and there is a subtle opalescence of whitish blue at the edges and meniscus, and some interior fire under good light.

Louche
Good thick cascades (rather than trails) with pretty refractions. Clouding on the bottom sets up at about .5/1, top layer shortly thereafter. The layering here is not as defined as the most impressive louches I've seen, but lovely nonetheless. Make sure your water is very cold for this.

Aroma
Neat, very, very clean anise/fennel with herbal background. Louched, WOW!... start by paying a lot of attention. The balance here is such that one must really dig to find the individual components. They are present and detectable. The fruity, round combination of the anise and fennel lays down a solid foundation for the wormwood, pontica, and hyssop to come up front slightly and really sing. A little citrus, flowers, and spice on backing vocals.

Flavor
Like the nose, an attack of very round anise and fennel. Slightly minty wormwood then takes the lead augmented by some spice and citrus. If you want to get that "baby powder" thing from hyssop, try this. Nice creamy mouthfeel, but not overdone... just right. Again, following the nose, very balanced, very clean.

Finish
At first the anise/ fennel combo increases just a little to a nice spicy prickle, and then the "baby powder" creeps. The finish is very long, and as it persists, there is a subtle growing tension between the anise/fennel and the wormwood. There is absolutely no drying and "pull" that is so prevalent in other absinthes. The "juiciness" of this finish could have me drinking this all night.

Overall
So clean, so balanced. Such a well integrated personality. Seamless nose, palate, finish. Not the most wildly complex I have had, but sometimes more is just more. Everything this does, it does so well. Recently, I tasted this first at the DUNY tasting in NYC where there were several top-notch absinthes being shown. It was equaled, perhaps, by a couple in differing styles but, in my opinion, it was exceeded by none.

1/30/10 Revisit - Yeah, it's a tough job, but someone has to taste this from time to time. I sit here shaking my head, smiling, and awestruck. I just never get over how good this stuff is. As I do these "revisits", I always form impressions of each review category, in order, and then read my original comments to see how it all squares. I changed one word and I moved one coma, for grammatical correctness. In the categories that didn't score 5 (Color and Louche), I consider both to be more than adequate, given the style. In the categories that really count with me, for any beverage, (Aroma, Flavor, Finish), the 5s are so strong as to be without reservation. Therefore, I am changing my previous rating of 4 for "Overall" to a 5. There are other absinthes where I considered changing the "Overall" to a 5, but upon revisit, I did not. This is one where my first instinct, back on 5/09/09, was to award that 5, but I did not, at the time, to keep it consistent with the fact that I had never done so in any review. This is only the second 5 in that category I have ever awarded in 23 reviews. And from what I read and hear about recent production, I can't wait to revisit this again. Congrats Marc... a true masterpiece.

Average user rating from: 18 user(s)

Unlouched, Pacifique is a fairly complex green/yellow with a clean scent a bit reminiscent of fir trees. Once tempered with water, these hints are still present alongside a nice balance of the expected absinthe herbs. The louche itself takes a bit to form and is a bit thin – but is entertaining to view and builds into a solid yellowish-green milkiness.

As for flavor – the aromas do not lie and much of the strong herbal character is also quite present in the mouth. Again – very balanced. This is one of the more bitter absinthes I’ve had but I love them this way. Good with or without sugar – though I normally take this one without.

Something I really appreciate about this absinthe is that all of the botanicals are listed on the bottle. Grain neutral spirits with; anise, angelica, coriander, fennel, hyssop, melissa, grand wormwood, and roman wormwood. You know exactly what goes into this elixir.

08/22/2014 UPDATE: Corrected score to account for what I consider a thinner louche. Not as bad as some - but this bottle I have is quite thinner than I remember. Water must be VERY COLD. Slow drip.

Pacific Gem

Unlouched, Pacifique is a fairly complex green/yellow with a clean scent a bit reminiscent of fir trees. Once tempered with water, these hints are still present alongside a nice balance of the expected absinthe herbs. The louche itself takes a bit to form and is a bit thin – but is entertaining to view and builds into a solid yellowish-green milkiness.

As for flavor – the aromas do not lie and much of the strong herbal character is also quite present in the mouth. Again – very balanced. This is one of the more bitter absinthes I’ve had but I love them this way. Good with or without sugar – though I normally take this one without.

Something I really appreciate about this absinthe is that all of the botanicals are listed on the bottle. Grain neutral spirits with; anise, angelica, coriander, fennel, hyssop, melissa, grand wormwood, and roman wormwood. You know exactly what goes into this elixir.

08/22/2014 UPDATE: Corrected score to account for what I consider a thinner louche. Not as bad as some - but this bottle I have is quite thinner than I remember. Water must be VERY COLD. Slow drip.

Aroma: Spicy sandalwood notes with an earthy base. Very pleasant, but tended to stay in the glass rather than fill the room. Still aromatic at 3:1, much less so at 4:1

Flavor: Wormwood bitterness right up front followed by spicy, more complex flavors. Nicely balanced after the initial sip. The first sip always seems to be more bitter than the ones that follow.

Finish: Dry and spicy with some numbing. Lasts quite awhile.

Overall: This is one of the few brands I prefer sugared. I also find it best at around 4:1, which eliminates the alcohol burn still present at 3:1. It's a good go-to absinthe when you want something interesting, but not too gimmicky.

Solid and interesting

Aroma: Spicy sandalwood notes with an earthy base. Very pleasant, but tended to stay in the glass rather than fill the room. Still aromatic at 3:1, much less so at 4:1

Flavor: Wormwood bitterness right up front followed by spicy, more complex flavors. Nicely balanced after the initial sip. The first sip always seems to be more bitter than the ones that follow.

Finish: Dry and spicy with some numbing. Lasts quite awhile.

Overall: This is one of the few brands I prefer sugared. I also find it best at around 4:1, which eliminates the alcohol burn still present at 3:1. It's a good go-to absinthe when you want something interesting, but not too gimmicky.

Louche: Opalescent trails begin the process, as the absinthe begins to turn a cloudy lime color from the bottom up. Good overall, but it could be thicker.

Aroma: A Soapy perfume-like citrus, with an earthy spice dominates before water. After louching, it becomes more balanced as the initial punch fades into the complex nose which contains the expected alpine herb aroma. There is also a hint of white pepper & earthiness in the background.

Flavor: Initial zap of wormwood. Powdery & silky. Overall very balanced and relatively light. It has the taste of a refined absinthe everyone can enjoy.

The next step up in American absinthe distilling

Louche: Opalescent trails begin the process, as the absinthe begins to turn a cloudy lime color from the bottom up. Good overall, but it could be thicker.

Aroma: A Soapy perfume-like citrus, with an earthy spice dominates before water. After louching, it becomes more balanced as the initial punch fades into the complex nose which contains the expected alpine herb aroma. There is also a hint of white pepper & earthiness in the background.

Flavor: Initial zap of wormwood. Powdery & silky. Overall very balanced and relatively light. It has the taste of a refined absinthe everyone can enjoy.

Pacifique is a really great verte absinthe! I have had it two different times now and the one thing I have to say about it is that it will really improve after opening and the flavor is very sensitive to the water ratio, but once you get it right it is quite delicious so don't judge it too harshly based on your first glass.

Appearance (4) : Pacifique comes in a very simple but fancy looking bottle, dark glass that keeps the eerie olive oil green color of the absinthe from fading. More neat looking than inviting, but a 4 nonetheless.
Louche (3.5) : The louche is great, but underwhelming compared the the thick cloudy louche other verte absinthes are capable of. Not disapointing, but could be better.
Aroma (4) : Pacifique smells spicy, inviting and deceptively complex. I personally loved the burning sweet vapor that comes out of the new bottle.
Flavor / Mouthfeel (4) : The flavor is very unique, which I love about quality absinthe. The holy trinity is working its magic, but there is an extra spiciness to the flavor that is exotic and tempting. Very refreshing and numbing.
Finish (4) : The finish is great, and the numbing effect lingers so slightly that it leaves you wanting more. Would have received a 5 if the spicy flavor lingered rather than the bitter.
Overall (4.5) : I had to give Pacifique an overall rating of 4.5 because each category was so close to being a 5. It really is a delicious and unique absinthe that is definitely worth trying, experimenting with, and then trying again.

Just gets better and better!

Pacifique is a really great verte absinthe! I have had it two different times now and the one thing I have to say about it is that it will really improve after opening and the flavor is very sensitive to the water ratio, but once you get it right it is quite delicious so don't judge it too harshly based on your first glass.

Appearance (4) : Pacifique comes in a very simple but fancy looking bottle, dark glass that keeps the eerie olive oil green color of the absinthe from fading. More neat looking than inviting, but a 4 nonetheless.
Louche (3.5) : The louche is great, but underwhelming compared the the thick cloudy louche other verte absinthes are capable of. Not disapointing, but could be better.
Aroma (4) : Pacifique smells spicy, inviting and deceptively complex. I personally loved the burning sweet vapor that comes out of the new bottle.
Flavor / Mouthfeel (4) : The flavor is very unique, which I love about quality absinthe. The holy trinity is working its magic, but there is an extra spiciness to the flavor that is exotic and tempting. Very refreshing and numbing.
Finish (4) : The finish is great, and the numbing effect lingers so slightly that it leaves you wanting more. Would have received a 5 if the spicy flavor lingered rather than the bitter.
Overall (4.5) : I had to give Pacifique an overall rating of 4.5 because each category was so close to being a 5. It really is a delicious and unique absinthe that is definitely worth trying, experimenting with, and then trying again.

The neat aroma is balanced herbal and heavenly, louched it is still there but a bit subdued.

Flavor and finish are complex, balanced, and delicious.

overall. This is my favorite absinthe, the one I reach for by default, and the one I buy by the box full. I love the way it looks, smells, and most importantly, I love the flavor and finish on a hot summer day. I prefer it without sugar.

My favorite absinthe.

The neat aroma is balanced herbal and heavenly, louched it is still there but a bit subdued.

Flavor and finish are complex, balanced, and delicious.

overall. This is my favorite absinthe, the one I reach for by default, and the one I buy by the box full. I love the way it looks, smells, and most importantly, I love the flavor and finish on a hot summer day. I prefer it without sugar.